Death on the Dawn
by RedFox2709
Summary: Chihiro has given up waiting and with it, her life. Haku learns of this and is determined to challenge fate to keep her alive. Gaining a new spirit friend on the way, can they save her from the death on the horizon?...There is also the problem of Arashi, a loved crazed spirit who will stop at nothing, no matter the cost, to get what she wants, and that something is Haku.


**Hello and welcome to my story, I hope that you enjoy reading it and please don't forget to leave a review for me to tell me what you think.**

**I would just like to say that yes, this is a rewrite of my other fanfiction, Death on the Horizon, but it is hopefully written a whole lot better then the original. I will be keeping the other one though so if you really want to you can have a look at it. **

**Anyway I think I have taken enough of your time so enjoy.**

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Sparrow

Black clouds rumbled in the distance, the waiting storm coming closer and closer. The ground was dry and solid though, so it would be welcomed, the plants having already begun to wither. The first rain drops began to fall, light at first but becoming heavier by the second, they gave a light splash when they hit the dirt, filling in the dry cracks of the earth. In the streets of the small town the screams and giggles of young children could be heard as they ran home from the rain, already having drips of water run down their necks and chilling their spines. A lone cat hissed at the small forms as they made a noisy passing while shouting their goodbyes as they went their different ways, disturbing the cat from its sleep on the sheltered front step of a small blue house on the end of the street. The cat rose onto its feet and arched its back in a stretch, glaring as cats do at the disappearing forms of the humans. It sat back onto the concrete, warmed from its body heat, and looked overhead at the grey and black clouds, a low grumble leaving its throat. The black and white cat slunk down the steps and hesitated at the line of rain dripping from the sheltering roof above it, with a sigh it stepped out into the rain and began the short but torturous run to the back of the house. The cat hopped up onto the undercover wood flooring, and stalked towards the glass door, having accidentally ran through a puddle it was in as bad a mood as a cat can be. The cat meowed pitifully at the door, its tail twitching impatiently as he waited for one of its humans to come to its aid, it meowed again, waiting. Eventually movement came from inside and a woman with greying hair appeared in the glass, a click sounded and the door slip open a crack large enough for the cat to slip through, which it did.

"You silly thing, you're soaked." The woman sighed, loud in the quiet of the kitchen. A faint buzz of sound came from further in the house where the T.V was flickering from the sharp wind that had begun to accompany the storm. The woman picked up the wet cat which began to purr and lean into the warmth of her arms after the chilling rain, they walked from the kitchen to a small cupboard which the woman opened while cradling the cat with one arm. She brought out a bath towel and began to pat dry the cat while she continued walking, stopping in the living room and sitting down on to the settee. The cat purred continuously while the woman dried it, making sure to brush down any fur that she may have ruffled with the towel causing it to stick up.

Sudden loud thumps on the stairs caused the cat to sink its claws into the woman's leg making her take in a hiss of breath from the pain. She pried the cats claws from the fabric of the jeans she wore, but when the source of the noise rounded the corner the cat immediately relaxed and began purring again. A man sank on to the settee next to his wife, his hair held no grey in it but his hair line was starting to recede instead, he let out a large sigh, smiled slightly at the still damp cat and turned his attention to the T.V. The weather update was showing and it was predicting storms and heavy showers for the rest of the week,

"How is she?" The woman asked while the reporter started on how it was expected for the rain to lessen next week. The man gave another sigh and turned to his wife who was still patting the cat with the towel,

"No better, probably worse. She'll snap out of it at some point or another." The man offered her a reassuring smile which she returned with more of a grimace then anything. The cat, after being suitably dried, stood and stretched its back, hopping onto the floor, it walked through the door, leaving the woman with a frown and soggy towel.

The cat made its way up the stairs and headed to the room of the couple's daughter. The door had been left ajar so it was easy for the cat to use its head to nudge it further open, slipping into the room through the gap. A delightful smell reached the cats nose and it followed the scent to a small plate with a tuna sandwich on it, the cat looked up at the human that lay in her bed, she was breathing softly, deeming her asleep the cat returned to the plate and knocked the top slice of bread off the fish with its paw, not wanting the strange substance that stuck in its throat, and began to eat.

#~#~#

The girl in the bed muttered something about spirits and a bathhouse, but was jerked awake by the sound of rattling china. She looked over the side of her bed from where the sound had come from to find her cat sitting there looking rather impressed with himself, an upturned plate next to him and a slice of bread behind. She smiled gently at the sight, this was the second time he had done this, the cat looked up at the human with what can only be described as a smirk. She lay back down and rested her head on the pillows, _If my parents keep leaving them there he's going to turn into one fat cat_, she mused as she felt a sudden weight next to her. The cat walked across the bed and settled on the empty side, curling up and closing his eyes, a content purr constantly thrumming through him and causing the girl to smile as she drifted off again and fell into what she thought would be her usual dreamless sleep.

The girl found herself dreaming of a beautiful forest, flowers of many vivid colours scatter the ground and crawl up the surrounding trees on vines, the pine needles were soft under her bare feet and she wiggled her toes in it. A river bubbled and shined like it was made of diamonds as the sunlight filtered through the tree tops and shined down onto it. She breathed deeply then of the small breeze that fluttered across her face, the sweet fragrance of lavender and rose surrounded her and she breathed more deeply and closed her eyes. She heard the birds calling to each over and they sang together to create a beautiful song that she could listen to forever. Her eyes opened and again and went to take in her surroundings of this beautiful place when she spotted someone watching her in one of the trees, she walked forward with a lingering smile on her lips. As she got closer the features of the person became more defined, he had chin length hair that was black but when the light reflected off it almost looked green, his eyes though were definitely green. The girl sucked in a breath,

"Haku?" Her voice came out in a whisper and she began to walk forward as the person jumped out of the tree and started to walk away into the trees. She tried to run after him but she wasn't moving anywhere, she tried to run faster but as she still moved nowhere she stopped and called out for him to wait. He turned then but the wide smile that was plastered on the girls face slipped when she saw that he was sneering. Sweat was dripping down the back of her neck and her shirt was sticking to her back in a very uncomfortable way but she was frozen solid as Haku walked towards her. He stopped a small distance away from her,

"I didn't think you were really that pathetic Chihiro, did you really think I would come to that pig sty you call a human world to see you, a stupid lowly human?" He gave a humorless laugh and turned around, vanishing in to the trees without a sound. A shocked Chihiro stood motionless as a single tear slipped down her cheek, leaving a warm trail down her face. The tear dripped to the ground and the dream shattered like a broken mirror.

Chihiro woke with cold sweat running down her forehead, her back felt damp and her head was swimming with the occasional thump of a headache. She glanced over and saw the time was 7:43, she had the sudden thought that she was late for school but remembered that it was the weekend and what she had got herself into. She had stopped doing anything, whether it be talking or drinking, she did nothing, she had stopped feeling the pangs of hunger and had learned to ignore the roughness of her parched throat. Six years was just too long to hold onto that hope she had been given. She didn't want to be without that world, her world. She thought back to when their hands slipped apart, _why did I ever leave? I could have returned my parents to the human world then stayed there myself._ She knew she wouldn't have been able to do it though, leave her parents. So she settled on her now silent rejection of the world around her, she was too weak to do much of anything anymore, she had gone four days without food or water. She knew that she would die soon without it, but she didn't mind, nothing had gone right for her since the spirit world, she didn't mind the thought of dying, this is what scared her, the fact that she wasn't scared.

The echo of the front door opening and closing carried to Chihiro's bedroom, the cat that lay beside her stirred as a strangers voice lifted from the floor below. Light footsteps climbed the stairs and the turn of the handle alerted both human and cat to the presence of another person who stood at the door way with a sympathetic smile. It was Makura, a friend of Chihiro, though she wondered if she can really count her as a friend, maybe more of an acquaintance, they never really actually talked. Chihiro drowned out the voice of the girl that had entered her room, she was good at that, ignoring people, it made it much easier. Makura soon left after failed attempts at getting the girl to talk and the constant growl that was coming from the cat that lay beside her was unnerving her. _Just as bad as each over, _she thought as she walked down the stairs and informed Chihiro's parents that it was useless to try and get her to talk.

Upstairs a sigh escaped the girls lips as she heard the front door again open and close, _thank goodness that's over_, she looked out onto her balcony where the rain was battering against the glass doors. She could see lightning in the distance and she heard the faintest rumble of thunder, _the storm is still carrying on from yesterday, or maybe it's a new one, _she sat there wondering and almost missed the flurry of brown through the streaks of rain. As she watched a small eye could be seen through the glass blinking at her, along with a small pointed beak, a sparrow, _what's a bird doing out in this weather?_. The sparrow continued to watch her and her it, a clap of thunder much closer than before sent her jumping out of her skin while it also woke the cat next to her. He jumped up from his sleeping place and scrambled off the bed thudding heavily on the floor, he darted under the bed and all that could be heard was the pattering of rain and his quiet hissing. Chihiro looked back at the balcony to find nothing there, no sign of the sparrow was left. She lay back down from where she had hastily sat up in her shock, the sudden movement had brought on a hammering head ache and she groaned into her pillow.

* * *

Far away, a whole world away might I say, was a bathhouse bathed in light, that from the moon and the lights that lit it up for the customers streaming in and out of its entrance. Spirits of many kinds flocked here every day to enjoy the baths and treatments, a forest spirit walked in now looking rather pleased with herself as the lake spirit with her looked to be hanging on to her every word.

"So yeah, I flew up to the window and there was the human-" A gasp interrupted the spirit as her companion stared at her wide eyed,

"I've never seen a human before, what was it like? Did you talk to it? What did it look like? Is it really as terrible as everyone says it is?" The lake spirit was gushing her questions and as she stopped to take a breath the forest spirit took the chance to take back the conversation.

"It wasn't really much of anything, no I didn't talk to it, she had almost chocolate brown hair and pretty much matching eyes but she was all skin and bones, and it didn't do much of anything it actually looked very sick. It also had a vile beast with it that hissed and spitted at me, the bloody cheek." The spirits continued to talk as they were led to their bath by a brown haired bath maid who was eaves dropping into their conversation.

"I came back later when the beast was gone but the human had fallen asleep, the lazy thing it was already eightish in the morning. I did stick around for awhile though to see if it would do anything, she kept muttering 'Haku' in her sleep but that was about all that happened." The lake spirits mouth was gaping wide open at this and she managed out a stuttered,

"Y-y-you don't t-think she means the Haku that's in _t-t-this _bathhouse r-right?" Her eyes wide she searched her friends face wildly for reassurance. The bath maid who had been listening dropped them off at their bath and made a excuse about fetching something and left them at a hurried pace. The forest spirits reassurances followed her down the hall and the maid scoffed at them mentally as she tried to keep the worry from her face as she headed to the elevators. The elevators were always packed during business hours so the maid had to squeeze herself between a freezing cold ice spirit and a rather uncomfortable wall, the elevator made its way up and thankfully the ice spirit left on the next floor, eventually the maid was the only one left as she continued to travel towards the top levels of the bathhouse. _What did that spirit mean by very sick? _These thoughts attacked the mind of the maid as she impatiently waited for the doors to open, _WHY CAN'T THESE THINGS MOVE ANY FASTER, _the shouting in her mind was matched by the glare that she threw the doors, as much good as that would do. The doors finally opened and she rushed out into the hallway, heading for the door to that dragons room, the dragon in question had been completely down hearted when Chihiro left, it was almost painful to watch, but he had put that aside and had just became more irritable then ever but more or less the same as before if not the slightest bit kinder. He was still avoided though except by the spirit that was marching towards his door.

* * *

The sounds of the bathhouse drifted through the floors, bath maids yelling for things, foremen greeting customers, it was all very noisy but none of it seemed to reach the ears of the dragon as he stood looking out of his window, not really seeing anything but instead thinking, _six years, how could I have let six years pass already. She must hate me by now. Maybe it is for the best. _Thundering footsteps knocked the dragon from his thoughts and he growled at the loud bangs coming from his door,

"HAKU OPEN UP RIGHT NOW OTHERWISE I'M GOING TO BRING ONE OF THE BROOMS UP HERE AND STICK IT UP Y -" She was cut off by the door opening, so he never found out where she was planning on sticking a broom. The dragon searched her face looking for a clue on what could be so important that the weasel spirit had come here in the middle of work hours, he noticed that her face was unusually drained of colour and worry speckled her eyes as she looked at him.

"What do you want Lin?" He sounded exhausted even to himself. The bathhouse was receiving more and more customers by the day, that along with Yubaba having him sort every little problem instead of any herself was leaving him drained of any energy and leaving him exhausted every day. Lin seemed to be slightly nervous and I waited while she seemed to be arguing with herself over something, eventually she took a deep breath,

"I was serving a forest and lake spirit downstairs and she was talking about her last visit to her forest. She apparently decided to look in on one of the houses nearby because she felt something was wrong. She saw a human who she described exactly like Chihiro and that she has been taken very ill. Before you say that it could have been anyone, the spirit also said that she had said your name in her sleep. Oh, and you should have seen the face of the lake spirit, I think you may have an admirer." Even though her friend that was like a sister to her was possibly grievously ill, Lin was Lin and she had to take any opportunity she could to tease the dragon as she snickered lightly at the look on his face at her last comment, but it was quickly dropped to one of worry which was a rare sight on the usually cold hearted dragons face.

"Lin get that spirit to watch over her for the next week, if she won't agree offer her payment or if that doesn't work threaten her. If her condition changes for the worse she is to report to me." With that Haku turned his back to Lin who turned and hurried back to the bath that she had left the spirits in, the dragon stared out of his window lost again in his thoughts.

When Lin had made it back down to the bath the two spirits were deep in conversation, the forest spirits hair flared out around her, reminding Lin of fire as it was red in colour which was a complete contrast to the almost white, blonde hair of the lake spirits which was piled on top of her head. Lin walked straight up to the forest spirit and it took her a moment to realise that she was there, she looked at her questionably with her eye brow raised,

"Yes?" The question caught Lin off guard for a moment and it took her a second to remember what she was here for,

"I have come with a request from the Kohaku River spirit that you might watch over this human that you found and report back to him if her condition worsens." Lin watched as the forest spirits eye flashed with anger but then relaxed back to their usual clam look,

"I suspected that you were eaves dropping, no matter. Tell this Kohaku that he can find someone else to stalk a lowly human, I don't just hand out favours." The spirit was about to dive under the water when the bath maids next words stopped her,

"He's willing to pay you." The spirits sly eyes met Lin's as she seemed to weigh the offer, she was about to answer when the lake spirit cut across her,

"She'll do it, and without the pay." The lake spirits words were good enough for Lin and she sped off before it could be changed. The forest spirits eyes slid over the girl next to her with a glare but was only greeted by a shrug,

"You're going to do it and you'll make sure that you put in a good word for me when you check in with Haku." She looked over to the forest spirit with a pleading look in her eyes, the forest spirit gave a heavy sigh and murmmerd something about where she can put her good word.

"Fine, but I'm leaving now and you're stuck with paying since somebody had to add that last part on of no payment." All she got was another shrug and a smile as she dressed and left the bathhouse for the human world.

* * *

Chihiro woke with a jolt but left her eyes closed, she could feel someone in her room, someone who isn't supposed to be there. She cracked her eye open the slightest bit and saw only the bottom of what looked to be a pair of leather high heels with a buckle around the ankle, she heard a sigh then and confirmed that it was a female, not some weird cross dressing guy. At least that made her feel slightly better.

"You can open your eyes now, I know you're awake." The voice was light but it also sounded like it was a command at the same time. Chihiro's eyes slowly opened to see a woman casually leaning against the wall with her arms crossed loosely over her chest, dark red hair fell in waves to her waist, she looked to be at least a head taller if she took off her shoes, but the most striking thing about her was her eyes, they seemed to shift different shades of green, like wind shifting the leaves of a sun filled forest, she wore dark blue jeans and a black T-shirt which was marked with silver embroidery across it. The forest spirit had always been thought of stange for her choice in clothing, chosing to look more like a human then wear the traditional spirit clothes.

Chihiro's mouth gaped open and the strange woman smirked at her, Chihiro tried to speak but her throat was too raw and rough from lack of fluids, she glared at the glass of water that had been placed by her bedside, mocking her. The woman in front of her seemed like she was about to move forward but a hiss from behind Chihiro caused her to falter as a look of distaste crossed her features.

"Anyway, I bet your wondering who I am, I am Nichimori, or Taiyo is what everyone calls me, I'm the spirit of a forest not far from here. The Kohaku river spirit has asked a favour of me and naturally I declined but then a friend of mine butted in and here I am." She looked over the human in front of her with quizzical eyes before muttering to herself, "I really don't get why he finds you so special." With a shake of her head she walked over to the glass doors which were still open from when she had entered, there was a break between rains at the moment but the smell the oncoming rain was in the air, she looked back over her shoulder,

"You'd better start recovering your making that spirit of yours worried. I'd better go now, it's going to rain soon. Again." And with that Taiyo changed to the little sparrow that Chihiro had seen outside her window that stormy day. She watched the little sparrow as it flew off, it had streaks of red through its feathers which glistened in the brief sunlight that struggled between the clouds. Chihiro closed her eyes with a sigh, _Haku isn't worried about me, he would have come before now if he was,_ with that thought drifting around her mind Chihiro fell into a dreamless sleep.

Outside a small sparrow flew over the tree tops of her forest enjoying the breeze that welcomed her back with a gentle touch, the forest became more alive when it's spirit was with it. The leaves and grass seemed to take on a greener look as Taiyo flew through the branches, looking for a place to land. Finally a small branch came into view, she fluttered down to it and was glad of the un-obstructed view of a small clearing. She watched as everything became greener and flowers began to sing because of the glory she brought to them just by her presence, other birds flew down to greet her and cuddle up to her as she looked over her forest, happy and content in her place of peace. Only one thing nagged at her, the fact of the human that she knew would be on deaths door very soon. With that thought the forest became darker and the first rain drops began to fall.

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**So that is the end of chapter one, personally I already think that it has drastically improved from my first attempt. Thank you for reading and don't forget to tell me what you think with a review. :) And also - **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS**

**RedFox2709**


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